This disclosure relates generally to a fan stage for gas turbine engines, and more particularly to a relationship between channel width relative to span for adjacent pairs of fan blades and corresponding performance and stall margin characteristics.
A turbine engine such as a gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. The fan section includes a plurality of fan blades spaced circumferentially to define a plurality of channels. The fan blades compress a portion of incoming air through the channels to produce thrust and also deliver a portion of air to the compressor section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustor section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
The efficiency of a gas turbine engine depends on many different factors. The fast-moving air creates flow discontinuities or shocks that result in irreversible losses. In addition to contributing to the overall efficiency of the engine, the fan module contributes significantly to the weight of the engine. As such, features that reduce the collective weight of the fan blades or the weight of the module in general contribute positively to aircraft fuel consumption.